Former Bachelorette DeAnna Pappas Speaks Out for First Time After Arrest ArticlePure

• DeAnna Pappas was arrested in February after an altercation with her ex-husband, Stephen Stagliano, during a custody exchange.
• Stagliano accused Pappas of being drunk and assaulting him, while she alleged he pushed her first.
• She released a statement on her Instagram Stories on April 3, claiming detectives determined she was not the primary aggressor.

DeAnna Pappas is speaking out after her recent arrest.

On Thursday, April 3, a spokesperson for the former Bachelorette star shared a statement on her Instagram Stories addressing her recent legal troubles. In February, Pappas was taken into custody after an alleged argument with her ex-husband, Stephen Stagliano. 

“On behalf of our client, Deanna Pappas, we wish to address recent public speculation and clarify the current legal status of matters stemming from an incident involving her former spouse,” the statement read. “After a full investigation and review of video evidence, the assigned detective determined that Ms. Pappas was not the aggressor. No criminal charges were filed.”

“In the best interest of the minor children, Ms. Pappas voluntarily withdrew a temporary restraining order in order to reach a cooperative agreement, allowing the children to be shielded from prolonged conflict and public exposure,” it continued.

“Any continued attempt to distort facts or interfere with the children’s well-being will be met with the appropriate legal response. Ms. Pappas remains committed to protecting her children from further trauma and maintaining their right to privacy, as recognized by law.”

“We respectfully request that the media refrain from further speculation and avoid the dissemination of narratives that may impact the emotional well-being of the children,” the message concluded. “This matter is proceeding appropriately through the legal system, and Ms. Pappas will not be making further comment at this time.”

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According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Stagliano’s mother, Lynn, filed a declaration in March claiming that she smelled alcohol on Pappas’ breath when picking up the former couple’s son for school on Feb. 26. After separating following 11 years of marriage, the pair reportedly finalized their divorce in June 2024, per In Touch, and share two children: daughter Addison, 11, and son Austin, 9.

Pappas later responded to Lynn’s filing, which included a request for a restraining order from Stagliano, stating that “Stephen told me that I needed to walk closer to him because he wanted to smell my breath to make sure that I was not drunk” later that evening during a custody exchange.

Pappas said that she ignored the comment and walked back into the garage after handing over their daughter, but heard noise and found that Stagliano had allegedly followed her into the garage while their daughter was still inside his vehicle with the engine running.

“I tried to shut my garage door. Stephen pushed my garage door upward so that it would not close. I shouted at Stephen to get out of my garage. Stephen refused to leave,” Pappas claimed in the court filings.

“I attempted to shut the garage door again. Stephen used his hand and pushed the garage door upward again so that it would not close,” she went on to allege.

Stagliano allegedly said he was calling the cops and continued pushing up the garage door, and Pappas said she phoned a friend because she feared for her safety. Pappas said she went back outside when she saw Stephen stealing things from the garage, at which point the altercation turned physical.

“Stephen then took his hands, grabbing me, and then forcefully shoved me. He pushed me back again,” Pappas claimed in the court filings.

When officers arrived later that night, Pappas claimed she was told that Stagliano accused her of being drunk and pressed charges against her for domestic violence, citing her as “the aggressor who assaulted him.”

Pappas said she voluntarily submitted to drug and alcohol testing after being bailed out of jail on Feb. 27 and tested negative.

“The basis of Respondent’s request is based on his fabrication that I am an alcoholic. This is wholly false and fabricated as a way for the Respondent to gain leverage in his attempt to alienate the children from me,” she further claimed in an opposition to an ex parte application filed by Stagliano.

According to a copy of their divorce agreement, Pappas and Stagliano share joint custody of their two kids and agreed to make “no negative comments” about one another around their children. They also have a provision to not “drink alcohol in excess of the legal limit during their custody periods.”